Spectrum
by Yookainightshade
Summary: BlackRose/ Ladybug Alternate Universe. The many spectrums of the world have never been in Blake's favour. Ruby doesn't care, she'll do whatever it takes to reach Blake. 10yearold!Blake. 8yearold!Ruby. Please leave a review!


**Author's Notes: I felt like writing some BlackRose fluff. I got the idea for this story by listening to the song "Spectrum" by Florence + The Machine. The lyrics really made me ponder the meaning of the word and one thing led to another. Enjoy~ Please leave a review! They motivate me to write more!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY.**

Spectrum: A broad sequence or range of related qualities, ideas, or activities.

Everything on this planet, Blake noticed, fit accordingly with this unofficial rule. Unofficial, in the sense that no one has ever acknowledged it, but true all the same. Nothing can escape the many spectrums of this godforsaken existence.

The spectrum of power, the spectrum of wealth, the spectrum of class, the spectrum of race.

... They were all not in Blake's favour.

She has been damned since the moment she was born a faunus. Being a faunus means to be born with a human body but to also have the features and nature of an animal.

Despite what many bigoted right-wing conservatives think, a faunus child is not the result of human and animal reproduction. Whether or not a child will be born a faunus is based purely by luck, or lack of luck to be precise. The genes in your family does not play a part in this phenomenon whatsoever. For example, Blake's mother is a woman with blonde hair and violet eyes whereas Blake's father is a man with brown hair and brown eyes. The couple was expecting, but what they received horrified them. Their daughter was born with jet black hair, golden eyes and a set of black cat ears.

On the very first day of her life, Blake's parents sent her away and never saw her again.

All her life Blake has faced prejudice and undeserved hate. Why? Why would a legion of people she's never talked to, people she's never met even, hate her for having cat ears resting on her head? What other reason would they need to hate her! She's a freak. A barbarian. Nothing but an animal.

This sentiment of superiority and naturally blessed power that people have stuck in their thick skulls, was conjured by foolish rumors that became something more. But no one ever imagined how they would grow, how they would spread like flames in the savannah. Fear is an entity that no man should ever dare play with unless he wants to be bitten.

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A long, vast river splits Vale into two sections: the city where only normal people are allowed and the forest where all the faunus are forced to reside. Blake has never been to the city before but from what she's heard from the older faunus, its a place of bright smiles, thriving businesses and excellent commerce.

Her grandfather, Sun Wukong, would always tell her stories of his adventures before the segregation dealt a horrendous blow to their kind. He told her of the wonderful foods, the beautiful scenery, the many stores and their wares.

That was until he passed away two years ago.

Blake is only 10 years old and she has already seen every horror there is. She's seen thievery, murder, abuse and rape, all of it on the left side of the river. Her side.

For the first five years of her life she tried to understand why they hated her so much but to no avail. Once she did, her once cheerful attitude transformed and she became a shy, lonely and weary little girl.

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Blake let out a huge yawn as she stretched up on her tree by the river of division.

Her and her granddad once tried living deeper in the forest with the rest of the faunus but found it to be a chaotic battle for survival. The black cat faunus loves her people but in the recent years they've changed and have become much more violent than usual. Thus her grandpa decided it would be much safer to live in the branches of a gigantic tree that lay on the segregation border.

Its been so lonely for the past two years, Blake now spends her days foraging for food in the great forest and sitting on her tree staring at the other side of the border.

Her heart aches as she imagines what the other side is like and how nice it would be to have someone to talk to again. Its been so long since shes used her voice, no one would ever really hear her out. The solitude was unbearable.

Whenever the black haired faunus tried seeking company from the other faunus they would always look at her and growl. More often than not they would also attack. Who would want to be associated with a weak child like herself? In the end survival is what matters most.

All the golden eyed little girl wants is to have a home, a family, a friend.

As more depressing thoughts crawled into Blake's mind, her keen eyes catch of sight of something across the river.

Craning her neck to see what it is, she is then greeted by the sight of a girl no older then herself in black and red. The distance between them, however, prevents Blake from seeing anything else about her.

The girl in red is waving wildly which causes Blake to tense and crouch in a defensive stance. The girl seems to be yelling something but Blake can't seem to hear it. Feeling agitated as can be, Blake hisses. The girl just won't stop. Right when Blake detects silence, something plunks into the water. From what she can make out, its an apple. The stupid girl tried throwing an apple across this huge river!

_What a waste_, Blake thought as she forlornly watched the apple go upriver. The girl came prepared though and seemingly out of nowhere pulled out a basket to the brim with apples. Each attempt to throw an apple across the river went slightly further than the last but still yielded the same result. After two full hours the girl was down to her last apple. The girl flung the shiny red apple with a burst of power and Blake watched as the apple sailed over the river and landed right in front of her feet. Amazed, Blake picked up the slightly bruised apple, looked at the girl across the river and watched as she did a victory dance before waving goodbye, leaving Blake to enjoy her dinner.

This became an everyday occurrence. Each afternoon the girl would walk to the edge of the river with a basket of apples, shout something, flash a smile and toss all the apples to Blake before going further into her side. Sometimes in her haste the girl would trip on a rock and faceplant into the gritty pebbles which would never fail to make Blake's day. As much as Blake didn't want to admit it, these daily greetings made her feel warm and light. On the rare days when the girl did not appear, Blake felt nothing but fear and apprehension for her.

Six months passed like this and Blake has never been happier. 

Ever since the faunus were forced to the other side of the river not once has anyone ever been bold enough to brave the raging rapids of the river. The current is just so powerful that anyone would be swept away. Why would anyone ever want to in the first place? Visiting the faunus territory meant serious punishment and possibly death.

To say that seeing the girl swimming towards Blake in the river was a surprise would be an understatement. Despite the current thrashing against her, she swam on with unbreakable determination. Her arms propelled her through the water with a clumsy kind of power. Occasionally water would find its way into her mouth and Blake's breath would catch and her heart would nearly stop but the girl would always manage to right herself and faithfully paddle on.

After an hour of watching the girl struggle to traverse the river, she finally reached the other side and plunks herself on the sand unceremoniously. Her breaths are ragged and quick as she gasps for air like a dying fish.

Blake takes this time to dispel her shock at seeing an actual person and takes her time to study her. The girls hair is black with streaks of red and ends at her neck. Her skin is extremely pale, paler than Blake's. Her attire consists of a black skirt, a long red cloak and black boots. (Not the most ideal clothing to go swimming in.) Her most striking feature by far is her vibrant silver eyes. Blake feels something stir within her when silver meets gold.

"Hi," The girl said after finally regaining her breath. "my name is Ruby Rose! What's yours?"

Blake gaped at Ruby. She had come all this way just to talk to her? Blake truly felt touched.

"Blake. Blake Belladonna." She responded hesitantly. Despite her gut yelling at her to run away from this strange girl before she got hurt, something about her made Blake feel calm and at ease, content even.

"Well then Blake, do you want to play with me?" Ruby said, absolutely teeming with energy.

"Wuh-what?" Blake stuttered out. No one had ever asked her to play, much less a normal girl. "Aren't you afraid or disgusted by me because I'm a faunus?"

"No way! You're not scary in the least bit! You're actually kinda cute." Blake felt her heart soar with joy. No one has talked to her in such a long time and no one has ever treated her like she actually mattered as a human.

"Oh-okay." Blake said with her eyes downcast shyly.

"Great!" Ruby exclaimed. "Can you show me around, Blake?"

Blake nodded and lead the way with a small smile on her face.

"By the way, Blake," Ruby whispers while beckoning Blake to her and places a kiss on her faunus cat ears. "I love your ears." 


End file.
